


The Ongoing Adventures of Shaggy & Velma

by IdrisTardis7878



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Angst, Deeks and Nell friendship, Gen, brotp: shaggy & velma, friendship fluff, kensi is mentioned but does not appear, set during the afghanistan arc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 00:30:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16843528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IdrisTardis7878/pseuds/IdrisTardis7878
Summary: While Kensi's reassigned in Afghanistan, Deeks and Nell have to adjust to being partners. All sorts of shenanigans and hijinks ensue. This is a series of drabbles and ficlets featuring the Nell/Deeks brotp (background Densi shipping will often be mentioned, though Kensi will not appear). Rated T for one word and some minor violence, but really probably pretty mild.





	1. The Perfect Nickname

**Author's Note:**

> Uploading from tumblr and ff.net - originally posted between January-July, 2014. Original author's note:
> 
> Author's Note: Hey everyone - Happy New Year! Hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season, and that 2014 will be fantastic for you all! I know I've been away from this site for a bit, but in my absence I've actually had a lot of time to work on my writing and so this is just one of several new things you'll be seeing from me over the next few weeks. (And for those of you following Talking In Circles, I even have been working on the next chapter of that a bit - honest!). This is going to be an ongoing series of drabbles and ficlets that all center around the Nell/Deeks partnership that began during Kensi's reassignment in Afghanistan. The chapters may be related, they may be random, but one thing is certain - this is about a brotp between Nell and Deeks. I still firmly ship Densi.
> 
> Author's Note 2: This is only very very slightly AU, in the sense that it assumes a much longer time span has elapsed between The Frozen Lake and Merry Evasion. Now, without further ado, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Nell, Deeks, or, sadly, NCIS: LA.

Deeks took a deep breath, refocusing his attention on the weapons and other gear laid out on the armory table in front of him. For a moment – just a few seconds, really – he'd let his mind drift. He'd been standing there, prepping for a tactical strike related to their current case, when the thought crossed his mind that it was the first time in a couple of years that he was doing this kind of gearing up without Kensi standing next to him.

The rather simple realization had momentarily immobilized him, the ammunition he'd been loading settling onto the tabletop gently as his hands had dropped to rest on the flat, padded surface. _Kensi not standing next to me is more than a bit of an understatement_ , he had thought to himself. Far from being here in the Mission, in Los Angeles, or even in the country, Kensi was somewhere roughly halfway around the world. He wasn't even allowed to know her specific location, much less have any sort of regular communication with her. _But there's not anything I can do about that at the moment_ , he had thought bitterly, _so I might as well focus on the job at hand_.

He had just pulled himself out of this momentary reverie and resumed his preparations when the sound of soft, quick footsteps caught his attention. He looked towards the armory doorway just as Nell entered and flashed him a brief smile, though Deeks thought it lacked a bit of its usual brightness. He grinned warmly at her before bending once again to his work. Wondering if something was bothering her, he watched her surreptitiously through his shaggy fringe without lifting his head too much. He said a silent word of thanks that he'd not gotten the trim he'd contemplated the other day, as the length of his hair partly obscured his eyes as they tracked her around the room.

Still, Nell must have sensed _something_ from him as she moved from one gear cabinet to another – when she was in the locker where they kept the bulletproof vests, she spoke without ever looking over her shoulder at him. "There something you want to say to me, Deeks?" she asked, her voice slightly muffled from having her upper body tilted partly into the locker as she rummaged for the right vest.

He started a bit before recovering. "Not really, though that was a nifty trick," he said, smirking at her as she brought the vest and her other gear to the central table where he was working. "Y'know," he gestured vaguely at her, "the whole eyes in the back of your head thing. Hetty teach you that? Think she'd teach me?"

Nell grinned, seeming to relax just a bit, though it still wasn't her usual carefree smile. "An advanced course in Hetty Training, I'm afraid. You have to pass Stealth Walking 101 _and_ Intermediate Ninja Eavesdropping before even beginning to attempt it."

Deeks couldn't help but laugh at that, a genuine chuckle breaking out. The word _touché_ was on the tip of his tongue, but he bit it back, instead focusing intently on re-checking his ammo. If he was moving the clips around with a little more force than necessary, Nell either didn't notice or chose not to comment.

They worked together – a companionable silence settling over them for a few moments before Nell broke it. "Deeks?" she asked, her voice having lost its teasing tone, sounding slightly hesitant instead.

"Mm?" he murmured, looking up and giving her his full attention.

"What if…" she trailed off for a beat before regaining her determination and pushing on, locking eyes with him as she finished. "…what if I'm no good at this?"

He could see that she wasn't joking and he was sympathetic, recognizing her current feelings as similar to those he'd had too many times in his life – when he'd taken the bar exam, when he'd graduated from the academy, when he'd let Hetty talk him into the liaison position, just to name a few. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair as he sat back, leveling his gaze on her face, which showed an uncharacteristic nervousness. "You've been great these last few weeks, Nell. Why are you worried now?" He was honestly curious and his praise was genuine. She'd been a solid partner over the time Kensi had been gone.

She put down the items she was fiddling with and stared back at him. " _Because_ , Deeks," she said, exasperation coloring her tone, "this isn't like anything else we've done since I've been going out in the field on a regular basis. This is almost _definitely_ going to end in a major firefight, and I just…what if I'm not ready? You need to know your partner is fully capable of having your back."

Deeks sat forward, crossing his arms as he leaned on the bench. It was true that in the weeks since he'd been partnered with Nell they'd not happened to have any cases that had required this kind of major tactical strike – which was, admittedly, an oddity for their team. He and Nell been on stakeouts, a few recon missions, done several witness interviews together, and even a couple of small undercover assignments. Some of these missions had, as was the way of things in their line of work, resulted in engaging their targets, but not, as it had happened, on this large of a scale. But Nell had easily risen to every challenge as it had come along. While perhaps not being quite as in sync with her as he usually is with Kensi, he felt a comfortable ease in working with Nell, and had no hesitation about continuing to be partnered with her, even in their current situation. He smiled widely at her as he replied. "I _do_ know that," he said, his tone serious.

"But I know you and Kensi –" she started.

"Buh-buh-buh," Deeks interrupted her, waving a hand at her and overriding whatever she was about to say. "Nell, I trust you. I _do_ know that you've got my back. Completely. Okay?" He held her gaze until she finally relaxed and smiled easily at him.

"Okay," she said softly.

"Besides. It's not really true that you haven't done _anything_ like this," he continued. "You more than held your own against Inman and his goons last year – you had some pretty cool moves in that high pressure situation."

"I guess I did, yeah," she nodded at him slowly, a look on her face that suggested she was replaying the whole incident in her mind.

"And besides, Callen told us how you handled that guy at Reduce Q on your own a few weeks ago. You went right after him, and you followed your instincts _and_ protocol and you got the job done. Nell, you'll be fine out there. We both will be."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I'm the greatest," she said jokingly. Deeks couldn't help but laugh and she chuckled along with him.

They worked together quietly for a few minutes after that, and were just getting ready to head out to meet Sam and Callen when Deeks paused, a serious expression on his face as he looked at Nell. "There _is_ one thing I just thought of though," he said, turning to her as they walked to the armory door. "One thing you really need if this partnership is going to work."

"What?" she asked, a slight frown crinkling the space between her eyebrows.

He heaved a sigh, crossing his arms over his tac vest slowly. "A new nickname," he said gravely, though his serious tone evaporated quickly, a smile breaking across his face as he spoke.

"Oh really?" she asked, crossing her arms and matching his stance. She quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Yep. Nellosaurus is great, but you need something fresh. Besides, it's a partner tradition." He scratched the back of his head for a moment, pretending to consider options, before he continued, barely able to keep a straight face. "And, I mean…c'mon…Ginger Bitch? Really? I just don't see it."

"How did you…?" she trailed off, laughing slightly and gaping at him in shock.

He chuckled, patting her shoulder as they turned and exited the armory. "Oh, Callen told us _everything_ about that part of the op. But don't worry, we'll figure out the perfect nickname."

"Great," she sighed, gently shaking her head, though Deeks could hear her gentle laughter and knew she wasn't nearly as put out as she sounded.

* * *

A few weeks later, they found themselves in the car, en route to Senator Lockhart's office. Nell was gazing out the passenger window, though she wasn't really seeing the maze of L.A.'s streets slipping by them as they passed. Her mind was focused instead on running over everything they knew about the case so far. She was mentally replaying the morning's briefing in Ops when one part of the memory in particular snagged her attention.

"So," she said, turning to look at Deeks with a smile. "Velma, huh?"

"Velma," he replied firmly, sounding completely self-satisfied. "Told you we'd find it."

She shook her head slightly, grinning. "Good thing I like it, Shaggy."

"Yep. Good thing." He looked back at her with a smile, and they both started to chuckle.

Theirs wasn't the partnership either of them had previously been used to, but in that moment, they both knew they were going to be more than okay.


	2. Happy Birthday, Deeks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original author's note below:
> 
> Author's Note: In honor of our favorite LAPD detective's birthday, here is chapter two of this ongoing ficlet series. This one takes place on January 8, 2014 - and marks Deeks' 35th. There are several improbable things in this chapter - i.e. I'm fairly sure Nell and Eric couldn't pull off what they pull off, at least not in the manner that they accomplish it - but let's just willingly suspend our disbelief, shall we? After all, isn't that what fanfic is for? Now, without further ado - enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: Still don't own NCIS:LA, Nell, Kensi, or Deeks. (Nor do I own the LA Clippers, who actually are playing the Celtics tonight - it was nice that their schedule lined up with Deeks' birthday).

Deeks shifted, sinking a little bit further back into his couch cushions. He was trying to find a more comfortable position to watch the tail end of the Clippers game, but it seemed to be of little use – he was restless, and distracted, and just couldn't seem to settle.

He heaved a sigh and tried one more time, finally scooting himself into a spot that was at least passably comfortable. Monty hopped up next to him, laying his muzzle on Deeks' left knee and looking up at the detective with wide, serious eyes.

"Hey there, bud," Deeks murmured to the dog, reaching out to run his hand along Monty's back a few times before scratching the mutt behind the ears. Monty let out a familiar low _whuff_ of contentment and a little whining yawn before burrowing more closely into Deeks' side. "Yeah, you like that, don't you? I know you do."

Deeks leaned over towards the coffee table and picked up the beer he'd grabbed out of the fridge when he'd gotten home a few minutes earlier. Leaning back into the couch again, he continued to scratch Monty's ears absentmindedly while taking a long swallow from the bottle. He tried to focus on the game, but the Clippers were getting thrashed and his attention kept wandering anyway.

 _That's two birthdays in a row now that have royally sucked_ , he mused. He couldn't help but let his mind drift back to the disaster that his previous birthday had been. He hated to admit it, but it still stung – just a little bit – though he did believe Kensi had truly felt badly about forgetting it. _Or getting her dates mixed up, or whatever it was that happened. It was a year ago…gotta let it go._ This year, at least, it was forces beyond either of their control that had screwed up his day. He firmly believed that if Kensi were in LA, she wouldn't have forgotten the date again. _Especially_ now that they were, well, whatever it was they were now that they'd finally acted on their "thing."

He tried to imagine where she might be at the moment, and what she might be doing. He tried not to think too much about the possibilities of the danger she might be in – he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself, but not knowing a thing about what kind of threats she was facing was driving him up the wall. At least if he knew _what_ she was facing, he could figure out _how_ to worry appropriately – this was just a seemingly endless, unresolved limbo where he didn't know exactly what or how to feel. The only thing that was utterly clear was how much he missed her. He tried not to focus too much on the idea that his Hetty-approved sat phone might ring before the night was over. He glanced at the clock – if she _were_ going to call while it was still actually his birthday, she didn't have much time left. It was already drawing close to eleven o'clock.

Taking another sip of beer, he briefly considered calling her before dismissing the idea. They'd figured out pretty quickly after getting the phones from Hetty at Christmas that it was easier if Kensi called him rather than the other way around. Her schedule was far more unpredictable than his right now – and that was saying something, as workdays at the Mission were normally pretty far from routine. They'd only successfully connected a couple of times for a few minutes each, but Deeks treasured every bit of contact they'd had.

The Clippers only had a few seconds left before their now-inevitable demise at the hands of the Celtics was complete – he figured it's only fitting somehow that his beloved team was suffering its first loss since Christmas day on his birthday. Deeks debated between channel surfing for something else to watch, at least until he'd finished his beer, or giving up – on the game, the beer, a phone call from his partner, everything – and just going to bed. The night hadn't been so bad earlier on. There'd been the typical type of work celebration – drinks, cake, and a gift certificate to his favorite surf shop before he'd left the Mission for the day – and then Sam and Callen had insisted on taking him out for burgers and beers at a bar they all liked. It had been fun enough, and he'd enjoyed their company – truthfully, one of the few good things about Kensi's absence has been the way his relationship with the senior partners has seemed to be strengthening naturally. He's felt more in sync with them in the last few weeks – both in the field and outside of work – than at just about any point since taking the liaison position, and for that he's grateful, even if it isn't the quite the same as having his partner, his…Kensi…there with him.

 _God, I'm turning into a sap_ , he thought, though he couldn't quite find the energy to care. In fact, he grinned for the first time since he'd gotten home at the thought of what Kensi would say if she could hear what he'd just been thinking. _She'd probably make a lot of jokes at my expense – scratch that, she_ _ **definitely**_ _would – at least I know I'd be in no danger of them actually being funny though._ His grin widened at that thought and he was just about to click the TV off and finally call it a night when someone started knocking softly, yet insistently, on his door.

He muted the TV, set down his nearly empty beer, and stood up, ignoring the noise of displeasure that Monty made at having his pillow taken away. Cautiously, he moved over to his door as the knocking got louder and a little bit faster. He looked at his watch – it was just after eleven, too late for a random drop in from a neighbor or any normal social call. For one wild second the idea that maybe Kensi had come home and was there to surprise him flickered through his mind before he dismissed it as too improbable. "Comin', comin'. Hang on a sec," he called out as he stepped up and peered through the peephole. He took a long look, as the knocking stopped and the person on the other side stepped back for a moment. He blinked twice and looked again before swinging the door open.

"Nell?" he questioned, surprised to see his teammate and temporary partner on his doorstep so late at night. "Not that I'm not always glad to see you, but uh, is everything okay? Did we get a case?"

"Everything's great!" She smiled brightly at him, hugging a laptop to her chest with one arm and carrying a large bag in her free hand. "And no, no case. Look, I know this is a bit weird, but can I come in for a sec, Deeks? I'll explain."

"Yeah, of course," he said, stepping back so that she could enter and watching as she strode towards his living room quickly without even looking back at him. He closed the door and trailed after her. "Umm…?" he murmured, not really sure what to say to her. He was curious about why she was there, and why she was acting like something urgent was going on if it weren't for a case.

Nell set down the laptop and bag on the coffee table and opened up the computer. She moved efficiently, simultaneously booting up the computer and pulling out her cell and dialing with her free hand. When the call connected, she glanced over at Deeks with a bright smile. "Hey, Eric. Yeah. I'm here. We still good? Awesome. I'll connect the cabling and text you as soon as it's secure. Thanks a million."

Watching her disconnect the call, Deeks raised an eyebrow. "Okay Nell…spill. What's going on?"

"Okay, first of all, you can't tell Hetty," she said seriously, pulling a length of heavy duty cabling out of the bag she'd brought with her and busying herself connecting it and doing several technical things that Deeks couldn't have made heads or tails of even if she hadn't been working at lightning speed.

He rubbed his hand across his forehead, snorting in disbelief at her words. "Okay, yeah, because things that start with that kind of sentence always end well," he muttered.

"No, seriously, Deeks. You _cannot_ tell Hetty anything about what's about to happen. Let's just say it will not go well for Eric and me if she finds out," Nell said, looking up at him earnestly as she finished working on whatever she was doing to the laptop.

"Okay, okay! Not that I _know_ what it is that's about to happen anyway," he said, a bit of exasperation creeping into his voice. "We _are_ off duty, y'know? We get more than enough of the cloak and dagger stuff during working hours…can you at least give me a hint as to what this is all about? C'mon," he tried a different tack, pleading with her playfully, "have pity on the birthday boy."

She grinned at him again as she finished what he can only assume is a text to Eric, given her earlier phone conversation, looking up at him with a twinkle in her eye that's ever so slightly devilish. "Funny you should mention it…this is actually your birthday present from the team. Your _real_ one, that is. You have half an hour."

"Nell, what –" he began before he's interrupted by the sound he most hoped to hear.

"Hey there, partner." Kensi's voice – sounding tinny over the video connection, but unmistakably _hers_ – drifted across his living room and he looked up in shock. "Are you going to come over where I can see you? We don't have a lot of time."

Deeks stumbled towards the couch, sitting down heavily as Kensi's face came blurrily into view. He barely heard Nell murmur something about taking Monty for a walk before she and his dog slipped quietly out the door. All his focus was trained on the computer screen, the sight of Kensi filling him with an intent alertness he hadn't felt in days – no, weeks. "Hey," he breathed, and the smile that stretched his face was nearly painful it was so wide.

"Hey Deeks," Kensi was shooting him a smile to match his own. "Happy birthday."

* * *

When the half hour is up, Eric must kill the connection automatically from Ops, as the screen flashes into darkness abruptly just before Nell returns with Monty. Deeks is still just sitting there, dazed, when he hears the dog's nails clicking on the hardwood floor and feels Monty jump up to rejoin him on the couch. Looking over to the hallway, he sees Nell replacing Monty's leash on the hook behind the door before she moves into the living room and starts disconnecting the cables and packing the computer equipment away. It's a full minute – or at least it feels like it – before he can find his voice.

"Nell," he says softly, "thank you doesn't even begin to cover it. I owe you one."

"Pfff," she shrugs, waving him off. "Nah. It was a team effort."

"I find that a little hard to believe," he murmurs, trying and failing to imagine Sam and Callen having anything to do with something that was so risky and broke so many protocols solely to benefit Deeks' personal happiness. The three of them were getting closer, sure, and getting along much better – of that there was no doubt. But their participation in something like this was still a bit far-fetched in his mind. " _Everyone_ helped risk a national security breach just for my birthday?"

"Yup," she insists, shaking her head at him as she finishes packing the last of the gear and hauls herself up to standing. "Don't underestimate how pissed Sam and Callen were at Hetty for sending Kensi away without any notice or explanation. If Hetty does find out," Nell arches her eyebrow at him as if to silently acknowledge that the likelihood of that eventually happening is high, it's just a matter of when, "they're going to run interference and pretend that it was their idea. And you know Eric and me – we're not just good at all things tech. We're suckers for a worthy cause." She grins at him, and the look on her face is so self-satisfied that he can't help but chuckle. She steps towards the door, lugging the laptop and gesturing with the bag full of cables. "I'm glad I could help with this, Deeks," she says warmly, "but I've got to get this back to Ops so Eric and I can try to make sure that Hetty doesn't ever know that it was gone."

Deeks stands and follows her to the door, nodding at her explanation before reaching out and pulling her into a one-armed hug that squishes the laptop awkwardly between them. "Thanks again, Nell," he says as he releases her, grinning down at her with a truly carefree smile. "My birthday just got so much better…you don't even know."

She grins back teasingly. "I think I have a fairly good idea," she quips before opening the door.

A sudden thought occurs to him and he speaks again quickly, halting Nell as she reaches the doorstep. "Hey, Nell…you said that if Hetty finds out, Sam and Callen will _pretend_ like this was their plan. Whose was it really, then?"

"She didn't tell you?" Nell smirks at him. "It was Kensi's. Said she wasn't going to miss it again."

 _I was right – she remembered_ , he thinks to himself before finally responding to Nell. When he speaks though, his thoughts are still scattered."That's, uh…wow, uh," he babbles, shaking his head. Only his partner would rope their team into doing something like this. His amazing, completely insane, partner. "I'm impressed."

"Believe me," Nell says, "I'm pretty sure Kensi thought it was worth the risk." With that, she moves to leave again before turning back once more, rooting around in the cable bag for something. "Oh! I almost forgot. I picked this up for you, Kensi's orders. She told me to tell you to eat it this time – no more mounting them." She hands him a small paper bag that she'd pulled from the depths of the larger bag. "Do I even want to know?" she asks with a quizzical expression on her face.

Guessing what must be inside the little bag, Deeks shakes his head and laughs as he takes it from her. "Long story. I'll tell you on our next stakeout."

"I'll hold you to that," Nell says softly, and with one final wave she's gone. Shutting and locking the door behind her, Deeks opens the bag she'd given him on Kensi's behalf. Sure enough, a plump, gooey-looking cronut rests inside. As he drifts back over to reclaim his spot next to Monty so that he can watch the news and finish his beer along with his cronut, Deeks can't help but smile.

Calling it the best birthday ever would be a bit of a stretch. But he can't deny that right now it was distinctly better than it had been even an hour earlier.

 _Next year though_ , he vowed to himself, _she'll be here with me. And that'll be the best thing of all._


	3. Sometimes You Hear The Bullet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original author's note follows:
> 
> Author's Note: This chapter was based on a one line fic prompt I got from notababoonbrandishingastick over on Tumblr. The original prompt was: "she just needed a way to stop the bleeding," and I was supposed to write a five sentence fic to continue it...but it got, er, a wee bit beyond five sentences and turned into something more drabble length so I thought I would turn it into the next installment of this series. The chapter title comes from an episode of M*A*S*H. Warning...this chapter's definitely a bit more angsty than the previous installments.
> 
> Disclaimer: Alas, I still don't own any of it!

She just needed a way to stop the bleeding.

Nell looked around her, quickly taking inventory of her situation in the deserted alleyway. The target who'd shot her lay a few feet away, quickly bleeding out from his own chest wound - thankfully, her aim had been better than his, as he'd only managed to hit her in the arm.

Still, it hurt like hell - her sleeve was soaked through with her own blood, and her vision was just starting to blur around the edges as she slumped down so that she could sit against the wall at her back. Looking up and to her left, she could just see where the round had embedded in the pitted brick above her. _A through and through, and not on the side with my firing hand_ , she thought with a grimace as she felt the warm trickles steadily seeping down her arm. _Thank God for small mercies at least_.

They had been following a pair of suspects who had taken off on foot, and as the suspects had split up when they came to the warehouse, she and Deeks had been forced to do the same. Deeks had taken the longer route around the back and Nell had sprinted after the perp who'd ducked into this alley. She knew that Deeks would eventually make it around to where she was, but she didn't know if she'd be conscious by the time he got to her.

Looking around again, she tried to find something, anything, to turn into a makeshift bandage, but there was nothing within reach - nothing _clean_ at least - other than her shirt, which was under her tac vest and impossible for her to get free one handed. She was just in the process of reaching up to tap her comm - though she hadn't yet figured out the words that would let her ask for help without sending Eric into an absolute panic - when Deeks skidded around the corner at the far end of the alley shouting her name.

"Oh God," the detective breathed, falling to his knees in front of where she was sprawled. "Nell… _Jesus_ …okay…hang on." She watched him activate his own comm and faintly heard him alerting Sam and Callen of the situation and ordering Eric to send an ambulance, but the dark spots that had been at the edges of her vision were now overtaking her and she was sure that she was about to pass out.

"Deeks," she croaked, trying to get the words out before she lost consciousness. "Tell…tell Eric I'm fine…."

Deeks snorted. "You've been taking lessons from Kensi, haven't you?" He glanced over his shoulder at the perp she'd taken down. "And I don't just mean target practice - though that was some nice sharpshooting Velma."

She protested weakly. "I don't want him to…get upset…" Deeks' face was starting to swim before her eyes - there seemed to be two of him, actually - she calculated that she must have lost a great deal of blood. "He gets worried…when m'out in th'field," she mumbled, her words beginning to slur together.

"Don't worry, you _will be_ fine, and you can tell him yourself, okay? Just hang on, the ambulance is almost here." Deeks reached down and wrapped his hands around the wound on her arm. "Don't hate me, Nell, but I've got to put some pressure on this and it's going to hurt." Before her sluggish mind could even fully process what he'd said, he was already squeezing her arm.

The pain ripped through her, burning like fire and radiating through every part of her body. The last things she was aware of before sliding into unconsciousness were Deeks' repeated apologies and the sound of her own voice screaming.


	4. Marty...Jones?

The first things Deeks became aware of were the unmistakable coppery tang of blood on his tongue and a sharp, slicing pain cutting through the left side of his lower lip. That one spot hurt like hell, but the rest of his mouth felt oddly numb and puffy.

 _Split lip…probably,_ he thought, poking his tongue around experimentally to see just how bad the damage was. He hissed slightly when he found the most painful spot, quickly deciding that it was _definitely_ a split lip and that he ought to leave well enough alone.

The next thing that made itself apparent as he returned to full consciousness was the pounding behind his temples and at the base of his skull. It felt like he’d gone several rounds with Sam in the sparring ring and lost - _only a lot **less** fun, _come to think of it.

As he grew more and more alert, he also noticed that his ribs ached if he breathed too deeply - he only hoped that none of them were actually broken - and he thought he had a nasty set of lacerations running up his right arm, given the stinging sensations chasing relentlessly up and down it from his elbow to his knuckles and back.

He wasn’t sure if he really dared to open his eyes - based on how he felt, he could only imagine that when he looked around he’d find himself in a less than ideal situation. But his last memory - foggy though it was - was of Nell’s panicked voice over his earwig as the op they’d been in the middle of went sideways. It was best to get it over with and face the music and see how bad things really were for him.

Cracking his eyes open the smallest possible amount, he peered about, taking in his surroundings. He appeared to be in a dimly lit basement - or maybe a storage room - filled with some sort of crates and barrels. Since they didn’t seem to be going to fall out of his head, he opened his eyes fully and sat up straight.

Or tried to. Because that was when he noticed that he was handcuffed to a floor-to-ceiling pipe running close to the back wall of wherever the hell he was. “Terrific,” he muttered. “Just _fantastic_.”

Thankfully, he seemed to be alone, the thugs that he’d tussled with earlier apparently having business elsewhere. _Probably reporting on me to their boss_ , he thought. _So…not looking forward to them coming back…especially since they’ll probably have reinforcements._

He tested the cuffs. They were tight, and the way he’d been bound to the pipe forced him to tilt to the left at an awkward angle, but as he glanced up towards the ceiling he noticed that the pipe was straight and unobstructed all the way up. If he worked at it, he was sure he could get himself up to standing. _And then what? You’ll kick at them if they come back?_ He snorted at his own thoughts, before regretting the pain that it shot through his injured mouth.

Still, it seemed better to get himself on his feet - at the very least he’d have a better vantage point on the room. Through a painful series of shuffling pushes, he finally managed to get himself upright. Breathing slowly, so as not to aggravate his ribs, he looked around again - and couldn’t help but laugh. He knew **_exactly_** where he was.

“God…I love stupid criminals,” he murmured under his breath. What had looked like a fairly nondescript backroom from his position on the floor was now clearly revealed as the food storage for one of L.A.’s more popular, high-end sushi restaurants. His Japanese was a little rusty, but he could read the product labels off of most of the jars and boxes on the closest shelves, not to mention that the restaurant’s rather distinctive logo was stamped on just about everything in sight.

He and Nell had been trailing a couple of mid-level players who worked for a mysterious Yakuza boss that had his hands in everything from arms dealing to drug running and had recently begun dabbling in cyber terrorism. Over the last few days the team had been able to piece together evidence of his ever-expanding criminal enterprises, and learn the names of several of his associates. Frustratingly though, they hadn’t been able to find any concrete leads on the man’s identity. He was extremely adept at pulling the strings, but staying hidden while he did it. No one on the team had been able to figure out how, much to their annoyance. The guy was a ghost.

Given the lack of leads on the boss himself, Deeks and Nell had been surveilling a pair of the organization’s flunkies, hoping they would lead them to the mastermind. It had all been going well till they somehow got made earlier that afternoon.

As the pieces fell together for him now, Deeks understood why they’d been having such a problem figuring out who headed up the organization. Their crime boss was not only hiding in plain sight, as the owner of a prominent - and legitimate - L.A. business, but “he” was a “she,” considering who owned the fine establishment he was currently being held prisoner in.

As he was processing this revelation, a faint crackle from his right ear captured his attention and he realized that though it had apparently been damaged during the fight, the men he’d gone up against had neglected to find and remove his earwig.

He could catch faint fragments of conversation over the comm, though it kept fading in and out. He relaxed against the wall and grinned widely into the semidarkness. “I mean it - they are flat out stupid. I _love_ it. They’ve gotta be new to the organization if they’re _this_ sloppy…” he chuckled to himself. “She’s gonna be steamed when she hears that they brought me _**here** _to hide me.” He couldn’t help but shake his head and laugh.

Twisting around and bending a bit allowed him to reach and manipulate the toggle on his comm. The connection seemed to get a bit clearer now that he’d opened his end of it, and he could hear his teammates’ conversation more easily.

_“I’m **trying,** Callen,” Eric’s stressed tones came through the comm. “But there are no more security cameras after that point.”_

_"Well - you’ve got to try something else,” the team leader said, his voice firm. “What about the GPS in his phone?”_

_“I tried that already. Nothing. They must’ve ditched it first thing.”  
_

_Sam cut in next, sounding concerned. “Just find him, Eric.”_

“Aw, big man,” Deeks finally spoke up. “I’m touched that you guys are so worried about me.”

“Deeks!” Eric responded first, and the relief was evident in the tech’s voice. “Are you alright? Do you know where you are?”

“I’ve been better,” he grimaced as the pain in his ribs reasserted itself. “But I’ve also been a hell of a lot worse. And as for where I am…you guys are never going to believe it…”

* * *

Less than forty minutes later - though the time crawled by for him - Deeks heard the distinctive sound of a door being kicked in followed by Sam and Callen’s familiar bickering. Deeks couldn’t hear Callen’s initial comment, but as they came around the corner of the shelves opposite his position, Sam’s voice carried clearly across the space. “Only Deeks would get himself held hostage in a sushi restaurant.”

“Hey,” Deeks quipped, very glad to see his teammates, “at least I’m still wearing my pants.”

Callen grimaced. “That was _**one**_ time.”

“Three,” Sam interjected.

“I heard five,” Deeks chimed in, grinning at Callen’s obvious irritation despite still feeling distinctly the worse for wear.

Callen just raised an eyebrow at him before remarking casually, “Y’know, with an attitude like that, you’d almost think you don’t _want_ me to uncuff you, Deeks.”

“Did I say five? I meant zero…besides, you wouldn’t leave the guy who cracked the case down here, would you?”

Sam shook his head. “Cut him loose, G. We need to get back out front before Nell comes busting in here.”

Sobering as Callen stepped forward and released him from the cuffs, Deeks caught Sam’s eye. “She’s okay? I was so busy with the pair of goons we were tailing that I didn’t know what had happened to her. I thought I saw her get away, but…” he trailed off, a twinge of guilt twisting in his gut for not doing a better job of looking out for her when all hell broke loose. 

As if he sensed the negative track Deeks’ thoughts had started down, Callen clapped him on the shoulder - thankfully one of the few spots he _didn’t_ hurt - and said with an unusual gentleness, “She’s fine. Got herself to a safe place and called in what happened. She’s more worried about you than anything.”

Nodding, Deeks followed the senior partners as they all trudged through the storeroom and out through the kitchen exit, avoiding the longer and less convenient trek through the patron-filled dining room. No doubt the diners had been disrupted enough when Sam and Callen and the other agents had arrived on scene.

They maneuvered through one of the less vile smelling alleyways Deeks had ever experienced in his time in law enforcement, and finally made it back to the front of the building.

Whereupon a petite ginger blur of a person proceeded to hurtle towards him at rocket speed and slam into him, enfolding him in a crushing hug. He couldn’t help the pained yelp that escaped his lips, causing Nell to leap back in surprise.

“Easy there, partner,” he wheezed, “I’m a little banged up.”

“Sorry,” she murmured apologetically. “I’m just glad you’re okay…or mostly okay…” she corrected herself as she scanned his injuries, noting the full extent of his battered and bruised condition. “…on second thought, let’s get you to the ambulance, mister. I think they need to check you out.”

“Sounds like a plan,” he grunted, still feeling the impact of his injuries coupled with the jolt Nell’s enthusiastic greeting had given him. She ducked under his injured arm and helped him limp along to where the paramedics were set up nearby. As they hobbled slowly along, he glanced at her as well. “How about you? You alright? Callen said you were, but…”

She looked up at him, smiling warmly at his concern. “Yeah, I’m good.” When he quirked a brow at the somewhat noncommittal response, she laughed. “Honest. They were so busy with you, they didn’t notice me slip away - I felt a bit guilty about that, but I thought the best thing I could do was call it in. I didn’t know they were going to leave and take you with them.”

He chuckled wryly. “They were tougher than they looked…though definitely _not_ smarter. And, though it’s hard to say it, I might not have been as fast as I was a couple of years ago.”

Nell peeked up at him as she turned him over to the paramedics. “It’s not the years, Shaggy, it’s the mileage.” The corner of her mouth twitches up into a slight smile and he knows that she caught onto his hint.

As the paramedics start to look him over and make noises about taking him to the hospital for a fuller work up, he flashes a grin her way. “Well played, Velma. Well played.”

* * *

He’s not at all surprised when she shows up at his place later that night with burgers, her boxed set of _**Indiana Jones**_ Blu Rays, and plans for a movie marathon.

She fusses over his bandages a bit and walks Monty for him before they settle down for the first film. He knows better than to argue with her about any of it - and besides, she’d gotten burgers from his favorite place.

He thinks he’s heard that Nell already has an insane amount of real brothers, but she seems to have “adopted” him too whether he likes it or not.

(He does).


End file.
